The legislature is leaning towards a bill that will set the municipal elections in June during the scheduled primary election. It also looks that absentee voting would start on March 30th and be available for the next two months.
I look at this a couple of ways, I think it would have been virtually impossible to hold the election in a couple of weeks. I also think that two months of absentee voting is good, and safer. But I also think that many people are not thinking about a city election right now, and hopefully this clears by the end of May so there can be a little concentration on the election and the candidates.
Also, I have been thwarted by several folks over the past few days that the city council doesn’t have the legal authority to change the election date. I believe they do, and I think it is as simple as practicing their right to change city ordinance under the Home Rule Charter. I also look at this as something the courts could weigh in on. How could the city possibly hold a public city election at the height of a dangerous pandemic with NO poll workers? Well, Sherlock they couldn’t, and I think a judge would agree that gives them the legal authority to change ordinance on the fly. Remember, law isn’t what is written on paper, it is what the courts and judges decide, it is all fluid. And if a governmental body is unable to hold an election, that body has the legal right to remedy the situation, and I don’t think there is a judge in the land that would side on endangering the public because the legislature said a city MUST have an election on a certain date come Hell or highwater. Maybe what we are really saying is if the election can’t be held on April 14th, there is no election, and candidates Neitzert, Mickelson and Stehly get to remain in their seats automatically for the next term? I have a feeling the same arguing against me would argue against that scenario also. Funny how that works.
This is starting to sound like promised elections in Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Iran. The sign of anarchy is government without elections.
If the city council cannot change a city election, than they cannot enforce local codes.
Are you fools or hypocrites? Pick one so we know what we’re dealing with.
As long as the checks keep coming, who cares who wins any election, and if they are held?
They want to postpone elections. Trump is president. Noem is governor. Trump’s numbers are up. Biden is hiding in a bunker basement. Trump wants to quarantine blue states. Misinformation concerning the virus has itself gone viral. A hoax morphs into a reality. Trumps has become a pharmacist with recommendations. Snake oil is still snake oil as well as its salesman. People ask: “What happen to Kelly Ann Conway?” The cobwebs have been removed from the White House press room. March Madness has been replaced by March madness. The Olympics are postponed as the world comes together. Community spread isn’t a margarine, but never out at your local grocer. There are five conservative justices on the Supreme Court. They test Ginsburg every five minutes. Putin has access to the West Wing. McConnell is healthier than Thune. Italians are struggling, while Italian Americans Fauci and Cuomo are the answer. Grandma is being killed in order to open up new Chic-Fil-As. They say flooding is coming. Legislators have finally realized that Pierre is not the best place to meet. Republican leaders want to send government checks in the mail. Walmart is the last hope. Toilet paper is the new currency. The markets are the only roller coaster parks still open. How do you “flatten the curve” in a three dimensional world? “No touch clubs” still have to close. The virus lets Avenatti out early. America’s favorite past time has been lost in a time when many have a lot of time. The same guy keeps showing up doing all of the signing. The Feds are no longer “shipping clerks”. They want us to come together in an age of distancing. And people ask: ‘Will the Easter Bunny still be allowed to visit every home this year?” The new retro Ford Bronco assembly line has been replaced by respirator manufacturing. A virus is reducing our carbon footprint. Gas is cheap. Scientists now claim Uranus emits gas through a plasmoid. Is a plasmoid the cure? (What’s a “plasmoid”?)…. (Who in the hell wrote this script?)…. (They’ll never believe it.)….
NEWS ALERT:
Rhode Island is now at war with New York. Does size matter?
Please explain to me, “educate me” how the City under home rule charter can change an election anytime they want? I agree, they can change or move their election anytime yes, but the LAW sets the actual date by statute. It does give the CITY the ability to move or change that date, but again, the “statute” restricts our ability to move the election by a certain date. This is done, I believe so the “PEOPLE” Can know when the election will be, while gives the PEOPLE the ability to get together to change the date. I do disagree with one notion – STATUTES (Law) is what is written on paper, All the COURTS do is rule whether or not that law is constitutional or not. So please explain these two statutes to me…
9-13-1. Date of annual municipal election–Hours of voting. In each municipality an annual election for the election of officers shall be held on the second Tuesday of April of each year, at a place in each ward of the municipality as the governing body shall designate. If the governing body of the municipality chooses a different election day as provided in this chapter, the governing body shall establish such election day by January fourteenth of the election year. The polls at the election shall be kept open continuously from seven a.m. until seven p.m..
12-2-5. Elections of governmental subdivision held in conjunction with June primary election. Any other provision of law notwithstanding, the members of the governing body of any governmental subdivision may choose to hold their elections in conjunction with the regular June primary election. The combined election is subject to approval by the county commissions of the counties in which the governmental subdivision is located. Expenses of a combined election shall be shared in a manner agreed upon by the governing body of the subdivision and the county commissions involved. All other governmental responsibilities associated with holding elections under the provisions for that subdivision and Title 12 shall be shared as agreed upon by the governing bodies. The governmental subdivision clerk shall publish the notice of vacancy between February fifteenth and March first. No nominating petition may be circulated for signatures until March first. Nominating petitions shall be filed under the provisions required for that subdivision by the last Tuesday in March. The clerk shall certify to the appropriate county auditor the candidate names and ballot language to be voted on by the first Thursday after the last Tuesday in March.
Please educate me how the CITY can do what they can or cant do when it is clearly written into our ‘codified’ register of laws..
Just Asking sir…
Nope…not reading your manifesto Mike. Either cut to the chase or forget it.